Solutions Magazine

Solutions Magazine

For centuries, scientists have been looking for a way to reveal the mystery of cellular genetics. We now know that various physical and behavioral traits are inherited, communicated to each cell through the genetic mechanism of the 23 sets of chromosomes with which each person is born. This genetic symphony is the creation of life and its orchestration determines all of a human being’s components, from hair color, eye color, and height, to hormones, proteins, enzymes, etc. Genes direct the phenomenal growth that occurs during gestation and the regulation necessary after birth.

As we age, many of the functioning genes begin to deactivate. Environmental conditions and lifestyle choices contribute to the aging process in many ways, one of which is the deactivation of genes. Genetics can also be altered by other means. Calorie restriction (CR) can extend the maximum life span while still offering the necessary nutrition the body needs. A genetic component of this action has recently been identified by researchers.

Studies conducted on animals show that among the many health benefits of CR are lower body temperature, less chronic disease, lower insulin and glucose levels, and hormone levels similar to those seen in youth. Laboratory animals have experienced a life extension of up to 60%, tantamount to establishing a life span for humans of 140-160 years. A class of longevity genes has recently been discovered by scientists. Known as sirtuins, they seem to function as the universal regulators of the aging process in all living organisms. When these genes become activated, they initiate certain responses, including slowing the metabolism and increasing cellular oxygen uptake.

As promising as CR is for the extension of the maximum life span, for humans to implement it would necessitate a caloric intake of only 1,750 calories per day. This regimen is fundamentally a constant state of hunger, too austere for the average westerner. Consequently, the quest for substances that imitate CR is underway with nutritional supplementation in pill form being the desired end result. Already, many of the effective dietary ingredients have been identified. The following substances are the most critical in slowing the aging process and increasing the life span:

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-Carnitine ( ALCAR) is the minimally altered ester form of carnitine, a natural substance which the body synthesizes from the amino acids lysine and methionine. ALCAR has been found to be more effective in performing the beneficial functions of carnitine, particularly as they relate to the health and efficiency of the mitochondria. The three enzymes, which assist the mitochondria in producing the maximum energy from food oxidation, decrease as the body ages, allowing for more frequent occasions of free radical pathology. One of these enzymes is a complex directly responsible for practically all oxygen consumption in humans. As age causes the levels of this enzyme to drop, the levels of the body’s master energy chemical, ATP, is also decreased. ALCAR is able to restore the efficacy of these enzymes in laboratory animals, thereby boosting mitochondrial energy to youthful levels and reversing the cellular damage that is the result of aging.

Benfotiamine

Benfotiamine is essentially a minimally altered derivative of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. However, while thiamine is water soluble, Benfotiamine is fat soluble, thus more easily integrated into cells.

It has been successfully used to treat diabetes-related conditions, such as neuropathy, deafness, blindness, retinopathy, and stroke. It has even been credited with reviving affected organs like the heart and kidneys. Benfotiamine also has the ability to balance glucose metabolism in cells, thereby inhibiting the glycation and inflammation processes, two of the causes of premature aging. In addition, recently conducted studies indicate that Benfotiamine may be beneficial in the treatment of a wide variety of neurological illnesses, such as Bell’s palsy, Parkinson’s, tinnitus, and Tourette’s syndrome, with no known adverse side effects or drug interactions.

Carnosine

A fusion of the amino acids histadine and beta-alanine, Carnosine , also known as L-carnosine, is a dipeptide which occurs naturally in the body. Its primary focus is on the body tissue with the longest life, such as the brain, and skeletal and heart muscles. Carnosine possesses substantial antioxidative, antiglycation, and neurotransmitter properties. It is also the most powerful protection against protein carbonylation when taken orally and is able to rejuvenate cells by preserving connective tissue and skin. Carnosine performs a genuine balancing act in the body, adjusting the clotting of blood and controlling enzyme and cell processes. Many diseases such as cancer, sleep apnea, cataracts, hypertension, immune-depression, and congestive heart failure have responded favorably to treatment with Carnosine.

Meat is the chief dietary source of Carnosine, making it one of the few ingredients a vegetarian diet lacks. Levels of this dipeptide decrease with age and are exacerbated by trauma, infection, and stress. Only daily supplementation can perpetuate its benefits in the body.

Co-Enzyme Q10

Protein and cofactor components are the basic minimum compositional duo present in all enzymes. The cofactor can take the form of vitamins, mineral ions, or both. When the vitamin form is in play, it is generally referred to as a coenzyme. Occurring naturally, CoQ10 is possibly the most crucial molecule for sustaining health and life itself, affecting all organs and tissues due to its respiration-enhancing presence in every cell.

Its main function is maximizing each cell’s oxygen uptake, facilitating greater mitochondrial energy production. The heart, liver, and cellular components of the immune system contain the greatest concentrations of CoQ10. The treatments of cardiovascular diseases, such as congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, angina, arrhythmias, and hypertension with CoQ10 have shown consistent and significant beneficial results.

There are different forms of CoQ10 and, as with most supplements, the natural form is the more desirable. Like so many other substances, levels of CoQ10 diminish as we age, allowing for the concomitant drop in oxygen levels. The presence of oxygen in each cell is vital in performing all its various functions, including the prevention of disease and premature aging. In addition to CoQ10’s capabilities in restoring and maintaining organ health, benefits have also been seen in skin condition, hair growth, and energy levels.

Digestive Enzymes

Prime Longevity incorporates in its formula BioCor Optimum, a complete blend of digestive enzymes. Comprehensive in its makeup of plant-based lipases for fats, proteases for proteins, and carbohydrases for carbohydrates, BioCor Optimum offers the maximized breakdown of all macronutrients.

PABA and DMAE

Nearly everyone has heard of procaine hydrochloride, commonly called Novocaine, a local anesthetic known for its analgesic properties. For the last 60 years, its use has been shown to possess additional benefits in the treatment of geriatric patients.

When taken orally, procaine breaks down during the digestion process into two fundamental metabolites: paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA), a B vitamin, and its precursor, diethylaminoethanol (DEAE). The orally administered procaine product known as H-3 plays a part in controlling monoamine oxydase (MAO), the enzyme that acts as a trigger to breakdown the neurotransmitters in the monoamine family which include epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. MAO levels directly affect the aging process, particularly when it comes to depression and other mood disorders. If left unregulated, MAO levels would rise, causing neurotransmitter levels to fall and the door to depression, anxiety, and senility to open. In addition to the neurological benefits, procaine also promotes healthier skin, better sleep, improved sexual function, greater joint mobility, heightened muscle strength, and nail and hair growth.

DMAE is a natural substance, found in fish, which helps defend against the degradation of cell membranes. A highly potent anti-inflammatory, DMAE has been shown to improve the tone, appearance, and firmness of skin by supporting the fundamental components of collagen and elastin.

Central nervous system disorders have also been treated with DMAE, beginning with ADD. Now conditions like mental fatigue, poor attention span, inability to concentrate, irritability, and depression have also been shown to respond favorably.

Glutathione

Of all the body’s antioxidants, Glutathione is in the top tier. Synthesized by the body itself, it is made up of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamate. Its presence in each cell is the barometer of cellular health and its lack is a causative agent in cell death.

Glutathione is instrumental in a variety of cell functions, including protein synthesis, enzyme catalysis, cell maturation, and intermediate metabolism. Although present in other organs, the liver, which is the second largest organ in the body, contains the highest levels of this antioxidant, facilitating the critical physical process of detoxification. The body’s ability to rid itself of toxins is paramount to good health and, since the liver performs up to 75% of the detoxification that takes place, Glutathione is recognized as a springboard for the entire process. A high concentration can also be found in the lower portion of the lungs allowing the body to defend itself against airborne intruders such as cigarette smoke and pollution.

One of the most extraordinary benefits of Glutathione is its unique ability to aid in restoring the effectiveness of other antioxidants that have been oxidized.

Glyconutrients

Sugar is a villain, a substance responsible for tooth decay, mental distress, nervousness, and diabetes. Ordinary white table sugar is guilty as charged. However, there are sugars without which the body could not sustain good health.

Sugars, such as glucose, mannose, xylose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine all participate in maintaining inter-cellular communication, boosting immune function, and balancing hormones. While some of these sugars may be found in everyday foods like milk and plant products, the rest are typically deficient in the average diet. These monosaccharides bind with proteins and fats creating the large molecules of glycoproteins and glycolipids, respectively. Paired together, they are known as glycoforms and coat the surface of all cells in the body, promoting critical cell-to-cell communication. Without this ability to dialogue, the cellular functions of nutrient absorption, detoxification, and repair would not be possible.

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

Recognized as one of the body’s fundamental structural materials, RNA’s additional applications were pioneered by Dr. Benjamin Frank who produced volumes of research more than 30 years ago.

Focusing his research specifically on the anti-aging aspect, Dr. Frank experimented with both oral and topical administrations of RNA. Understanding that it is the deprivation of oxygen in skin cells due to inhibited microcapillary circulation that causes skin to wrinkle and degrade, he used RNA’s ability to enhance oxygen’s effectiveness to breathe new life into each cell. With this improved oxygen metabolism, new cells become more robust and mobile, readily replacing old cells on the skin’s surface, thereby creating smoother, more supple skin.

When combined with additional nutrients, supplemental RNA can enter the cell and initiate regeneration, revitalizing its metabolism and stabilizing its enzyme synthesis. The diminishment of decay can retard the aging process and reverse its damaging effects, effectively lengthening one’s life span. It would not be improbable to suggest that, in appropriate doses, RNA has the potential to transform an 80 year old man into the biological equivalent of a 40-50 year old.